Ross County

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Teenage Ross County defender Connall Ewan has joined Inverness Caley Thistle on a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old academy graduate spent last season with League 2 Elgin City, where he scored three goals in 35 appearances, and the previous campaign at Forres Mechanics in the Highland League.

Ewan will now spend the season in the third tier, and County boss Don Cowie says the move will allow the centre-back to "continue his progression".

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Don Cowie has promised Ross County fans his team will show "we're hurting" when they face in-form Aberdeen on Saturday.

County followed up their League Cup exit at fourth-tier Spartans by being hammered 6-0 away to Rangers last weekend, but now return to home soil where Cowie has suffered just one defeat in 12 since taking charge.

"We've looked at our previous game and talked about what we could do a lot better," said Cowie.

"It's about focusing on Aberdeen, they've had a fantastic start to the season, it's a really difficult game but at the same time an exciting one.

"It's in Dingwall, where we've been really strong and we've got to look forward to it. It's about having that balance in terms of trying to deal with their threats.

"Especially being at home we will try and take the game to the opposition and be on the front foot.

"It's not just about the result, it's about the performance and showing a reaction.

"For us it's about showing our fans we're hurting after our last two results. But in football it's always about the next game and being prepared and ready for that and that's what we intend to do."

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Ross County boss Don Cowie has been speaking to the media prior to Saturday's league fixture against Aberdeen.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Acknowledges that his side "need to be better as a team" after defeat against Rangers, but says "it's a learning curve".

• Says the 6-0 scoreline was difficult and in a match like that they needed to do enough "to stop the bleeding in terms of conceding goals".

• He's spoken to his team about what they can do better and is looking ahead to a "really difficult but exciting" fixture against Aberdeen.

• Thinks the advantage lies with County because they've "been really strong" at Dingwall but believes Aberdeen have the "belief and confidence" after a good run of form in the league.

• Says he wants to show the fans a "reaction" and is not just focused on the result, but "it's about the performance" as well.

• There's "nothing imminent" on the transfer front and he's happy with the recruitment, plus the new signings are "eager, hungry to succeed and ready to make an impact".

• He's "delighted" to have Joshua Nisbett as part of the squad and says it was "important to give him a taste of the action against Rangers".

Ross Morren
Fan writer

It’s safe to say County fans had to endure a tough Saturday afternoon at Hampden as the Staggies were hammered 6-0 by Rangers.

Don Cowie’s game-plan in the first half would have been to try and get a foothold in the match and frustrate Rangers. Instead, the home side were able to exploit huge gaps in the County midfield time and again, which was evident in the build-up to Cyriel Dessers’ first goal.

The Staggies were riding their luck to keep the score at 1-0 but that fortune eventually ran out right at the end of the first half when Rabbi Matondo scored to effectively end the match as a contest.

Cowie would have hoped for an improvement from his side following his half-time team-talk but unfortunately the performance was of a similar standard. A combination of clinical attacking play from Rangers and some really naive County defending saw the home side cruise to victory.

The past couple of matches have been a really steep learning curve for Cowie and his side. They’ve had a lot of criticism after the League Cup defeat to Spartans and fans expected a positive response to that defeat.

Unfortunately, it didn’t come and they were blown away by a Rangers side who put in their best performance of the season so far.

Prior to the back-to-back defeats, the Staggies were unbeaten in their first six matches of the season and it felt like they were making positive progress. It’s important these two defeats don’t derail the progress made so far.

Cowie suffered some tough results during his spell in charge last season but he was able to galvanise his squad and get a positive reaction from them.

He’ll hope he can do the same and his side can continue the impressive home form of his tenure when Aberdeen visit the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday.

Ross Morren can be found at The County Corner, external

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"I'd say I've probably let my standards slip, probably as low as I have."

An honest assessment from Ross County defender Will Nightingale in the aftermath of his side's "unacceptable" performance against Rangers on Saturday.

The Staggies headed to Hampden having been unceremoniously dumped out of the League Cup by League 2 side The Spartans, and left the national stadium with more concerns after a six-goal defeat.

Nightingale, who is on loan from Wimbledon for a second season, insists the blame lies with the players.

"I think the players have to take accountability," the 29-year-old said. "I think us players have to look at ourselves.

"I think we're the ones to blame because there’s simple footballing errors, that’s nothing to do with the tactical side of the game, so I think it should fall on the players.

"I'd say I've probably let my standards slip, probably as low as I have, so now it's about how I bounce back, personally.

"You can accept being beat, especially by a club like Rangers but it's unacceptable the scoreline that we let it get to.

"It's how we bounce back now. We have to be better. It's as simple as that."

Watch highlights as Rangers put six past Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

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We asked for your thoughts after Ross County were beaten 6-0 by Rangers in the Premiership on Saturday.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Alistair: I can't believe we have another 35 games of this dross ahead of us. Last week was bad but this week is no improvement. No shape, no apparent game plan, just back passing all the time. So far I don't see us getting the relegation play-off place this season. We're not good enough for that.

Rick: Yes it was a bad beating, yes we were all over the shop, but these games don't define our season. Time to dust ourselves off and prepare for the Dons at home next weekend.

Ronny: Utter guff. Losing to Rangers is not a surprise in itself, but the manner in which we lost was so poor. As soon as the third goal went in we completely collapsed. There are some players in that squad that need to really buck up their ideas, because at the moment they're not proving they're good enough for this level.

Sanjay: County are boarding the relegation express - next stops are desperation, despair, and the drop.

Mike: When the Ross County players met each other for the first time, did they shake hands? You would think they had never met before, they reminded me of strangers walking about in fog. Their ability to control the ball, retain the ball, pass the ball, and defend are zero. Huge improvements needed - good luck to Don Cowie.

Cyriel Dessers and Rabbi Matondo delivered superb individual displays as rampant Rangers dismantled struggling Ross County in a six-goal Scottish Premiership victory.

In what could be their final league match at Hampden, Philippe Clement’s men delivered a terrific performance a week out from the season's first Old Firm derby.

Nigeria striker Dessers slammed in the opener at the national stadium when he latched on to Tom Lawrence's through ball and Rangers took total control thereafter.

Lawrence then pulled a golden chance wide before Matondo cracked the crossbar, but the latter found the second just before the break when he cushioned in James Tavernier's inch-perfect cross.

Rangers' intensity did not dip after the interval as Matondo provided two second-half assists, firstly teeing up Dessers to divert in his fifth goal in six games and setting up Lawrence to roll past a helpless Ross Laidlaw.

Matondo notched his second and the Ibrox side's fifth, turning in Vaclav Cerny's cross from the right, before comical defending allowed substitute Danilo to complete the rout by poking in his first goal since November.

Aside from two Ronan Hale efforts, one which forced Jack Butland into a fine stop and another that was headed wide, County offered next to nothing and were completely overwhelmed for the majority.

Were you at Hampden or following the match elsewhere? Either way, we want your views on the game - have your say here, external.

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Ross County manager Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "The result shows it wasn't acceptable. When it gets to two and three you have to have that pride to make sure it isn't any more.

"We've got a very important game next week we need to dust ourselves down for.

"There are lessons to learn every single week. No knee-jerk reaction, but at the same time we recognise the last two results aren't good enough."

Cowie adds that there is nothing imminent on the transfer front.

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Never in their history have Ross County beaten Rangers away from home, so defeat at Hampden will not define their season.

The manner in which they lost could, though, especially with it coming in the week after a shock League Cup exit to fourth-tier Spartans.

Don Cowie's side were exposed massively whenever the ball turned over, leaving huge gaps in midfield.

And when they retreated and went into damage-limitation mode, it was not much better.

Ronan Hale's performance perhaps provides a crumb of optimism. The striker, who has four goals this term, is a livewire at the top end of the pitch and looks dangerous when given service.

Philippe Clement makes four changes following Rangers' League Cup win over St Johnstone last weekend.

Leon Balogun is fit again and replaces Robin Propper at centre-back, while Connor Barron and Tom Lawrence come into midfield in place of Kieran Dowell and Mohamed Diomande.

In the final switch, Danilo drops to the bench as Cyriel Dessers returns up front.

Ben Davies is nowhere to be seen amid reports the centre-half is set to join Birmingham City on loan.

• Follow live text coverage and listen to commentary from Hampden

Meanwhile, Don Cowie switches three in the County side following their shock League Cup defeat by fourth-tier Spartans last Saturday.

Defenders Akil Wright and Michee Efete are back in the XI, replacing Ryan Leak and James Brown.

The final change is in attacking midfield, with Noah Chilvers dropping out for Jack Grieves.

New signing Joshua Nisbet, the midfielder previously with Central Coast Mariners, is on the bench.

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Rangers defender Leon Balogun is fit again and midfielder Nico Raskin has returned to training after an ankle injury. Scott Wright and Robin Propper are doubts, while Oscar Cortes (knee) is expected to return to training next week though left-back Ridvan Yilmaz remains out.

Akil Wright, Scott Allardice and Michee Efete are back in contention for County while Max Sheaf (thigh) and Ricki Lamie (Achilles) are longer-term absentees.

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"Hard-working" Joshua Nisbet took time to weigh up his move to Ross County, one which he believes is the "best step" for his career.

The Australia international helped Central Coast Mariners to a domestic treble of Premiership, Championship and AFC Cup glory last term and was named A-League player of the year.

Now the 25-year-old is keen to show his skills in Scotland.

"I have always wanted to come to Europe and showcase my football here," he said in a club video.

"I spoke to the club a few months ago and at the time I was weighing up my decision and what the best step for my career was - Ross County and the project here is what I think it is.

"I’m very excited to be here. Fans can expect hard work, I will always work and hopefully contribute to goals and assists."

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Jordan White is hoping Ross County can bounce back against Rangers after their hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat against Spartans in the Scottish League Cup last weekend.

The 32-year-old striker says his team have "belief" before their trip to Hampden Park, having beaten Philippe Clement's side 3-2 at the end of last season.

"It's a different challenge, we had a lot of the ball on Saturday," said White.

"It's going to be different against Rangers, they control possession more.

"It's a different venue for them and it's a different venue for a lot of the boys here as well but we're looking forward to going and embracing it.

"It is what it is, it doesn’t matter, if you're away from home it doesn't matter where you play.

"You saw what a win against Rangers did last year, it galvanized a lot of people.

"It was a great result, it wasn't a fluke, the boys did really well that day.

"You've got to have a bit of luck in the game, you've got to be on your best and we're confident.

"We've had a good reaction in training and we've got to go in with belief that we can get something from the game."

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• Rangers have never lost at home to Ross County in 11 previous such matches in all competitions, winning the last nine in a row (D2).

• Ross County's 3-2 win over Rangers in April last season was their first ever win over the Gers in 25 meetings in all competitions (D4 L20).

• Rangers have won 14 of their 16 home league games under manager Philippe Clement (D1 L1) whilst scoring multiple goals in 15 of those matches (47 scored, 15 conceded).

• Ross County have drawn each of their last four Scottish Premiership games, with the last team to record five successive draws in the competition Hibernian in October 2019.

• Cyriel Dessers has scored 10 goals across his last 15 starts in the Scottish Premiership, a run that includes a brace against Ross County at Ibrox on Valentine's Day this year.

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The Scottish Premiership match between Ross County and St Johnstone scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 4 December will now take place on Saturday, 21 September, the SPFL have announced.

The clash has been moved at the request of both clubs, and will kick off at 15:00 BST.

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Ross County have announced the signing of Australia international Joshua Nisbet on a three-year deal.

Nisbet, 25, was most recently contracted to Central Coast Mariners, where he was part of a treble winning side last season.

The diminutive midfielder also won the Johnny Warren medal, awarded to the best player in the A-League, and made his Australia debut in 2024.

"Joshua is a really exciting addition to the group," manager Don Cowie said.

"He had an exceptional season last season, winning both team and individual accolades which has resulted in him breaking into the Australian national team.

"There has been a lot of interest in Joshua from all over the world but we are absolutely delighted that he has chosen to join the Staggies for the next steps in his career."

• All 12 Premiership sides provided a total of 15,101 minutes to Scottish players aged under 21 in the 2023-24 season.

• Those minutes average out to just 1,258 per club, which is the equivalent of only 14 full 90-minute matches.

• Six teams failed to reach a total above 700 minutes.

• Celtic and Rangers were the worst offenders in the division, with Celtic managing just 89 minutes all in, while Rangers' total was even lower at only 26.

A lack of first-team action given to youngsters in the Premiership backs up the Scottish FA's assertion that Scotland is not bringing through enough emerging talent.

Just three of the 12 top-flight teams are able to say they provided over 2,000 minutes to Scots aged under 21 across last season's pre-split fixtures.

Dundee sit top of the 2023-24 table with 3,538, but a large chunk of that was clocked up by the one player - Lyall Cameron.

The same applies to the three next best clubs on the chart, Aberdeen (Connor Barron), Kilmarnock (David Watson) and Motherwell (Lennon Miller).

At the bottom of the table are both Old Firm clubs, with the pair posting concerning figures - Celtic just 89 minutes and Rangers only 26.

The report uses Hungary's top flight - a 12-team league - as a direct comparison. It shows Honved provided 6,544 minutes to Hungarian under-21 players, PAFC reached more than 5,000 and two more clubs achieved over 3,000.

Click here to read more on how Scottish football is failing young players.

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Clubs in Scotland are failing to bring through enough young players, a report, external by the Scottish FA has said.

The governing body says Scottish football is "significantly underachieving its potential" in youth development compared to countries of a similar size.

Using a range of data to compare leagues across Europe, it shows players under the age of 21 in Scotland are playing fewer minutes in the top-flight than countries such as Denmark, Norway, and Croatia.

Meanwhile, game time for young Scottish players in major European club competitions ranks below countries with smaller populations and fewer resources, such as Montenegro and North Macedonia.

It also stresses clubs are missing an opportunity to reduce wage costs and increase transfer revenue by developing their own players.

The report was commissioned by the SFA's professional game board at the end of 2023, and a working party comprised of SPFL and SFA representatives will now consider its findings.

Read the full story

Former striker Lee Miller, who turned out for Dundee United, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock among others, recounts his experiences of being on the move on transfer deadline day during his playing career.

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Australia midfielder Josh Nisbet, 25, has received visa clearance to complete his proposed move from Central Coast Mariners to Ross County. (Press & Journal - subscription), external

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